Magnetic control for trains.



L. W. HORNE & W. N. CRANE.

MAGNETIC CONTROL FOR TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, 1914.

Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

AWE

ma 0m WITNESSES LAWRENCE WESLEY HORNE, "F WOODRIDGE, AND WARREN NOBLECEANE, UTE

RIDGEFIELI) PARK, NET/V JERSEY.

MAGNETIC CONTROL FDR, TRAINS.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Feb. 33%,

Application filed October 28, 1914. Serial No. 863,933.

HORNE and WA REN'NOBLE CRANE, citizens of the United States,andresidents of, respectively, said LAWRENCE W. HORNE of the town ofWoodridge, county of Bergen, State of New Jersey, and WARREN N. CRANE,of the town (if Ridgefield Park, county of Bergen; State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Magnetic (lontrolsfor Trains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention accomplishes the purposes described in many of ourapplications and articularly in the one filed March 4th, 1914,

Y beria'l #822,301, Patent No. 1313,1953, dated Jan.23,1917. In thedevelopment of that de vice we found certain changes could be made whichalthough not absolutely. necessary were exceedingly advantageous andtherefore desirable. The changes are now incorporated in thisapplication and may be summed up briefly as follows:

. Increased efficiency; by shortening the air gaps in the magneticfields. Overcoming the possibility of interruption because of excesssivevibration. Reducing the required voltage and current flow of the sourceof electrical supply. Cheapening and simplifying the generalconstruction and adapting the device for. installation without radicalchanges in the standard equipment.

All of these improvements are necessary in that they independently andcollectively operate. to produce an apparatus much more flexible andmore readily adaptable to any and all conditions.

The following is what we consider the best means of carrying out thisinvention.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification, in which:

' Figure 1 shows partly in elevation and in diagram a portion of thetrack and the locomotive magnet and control.

Fig.9 is an end elevation and partial section of certain.of the elementsshown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows in diagram a section of traclk.

Fig. 4 shows a modification in the construction of the movable core ofthe electromagnet l5.

Fig. 5 is a still further modification of this construction.

- Except at the points wherein Similar reference numerals indicate likei partsin all the figures Where they appear.

This device is intended to control the speed or to check the motion of atrain and to that end it employs a series of manganese or non-magneticrail sections arranged in pairs as shown at 1-1, 2 2, and 33, in Fig. 3,each pair of which are inserted predetermined distances apart and wearrange that the spacing between the sections of each pair shall bevaried according to the requirements that shall be later described.

we have inserted diamagnetic sections the rails are ordinary steelrunning rails and in Fig. 3 the ordinary rails are indicated at i, l,4:", 5, 5, 5", 5, and We also prefer that the opposite rail of the usualpair shall be an ordinary steel rail. This rail is indicated at 6. Allsections of ordinary steel rail are presumed to be subject to magneticinfluence and well adapted to be attracted by or to any magnet that maybe brought into sutliciently close proximity thereto; therefore when amagnet is passed over these sections of ordinary rail a magnetic field.will be established but f'when one of the diamagnetic sections isreached the magnetic field will be shortened and confined within themagnet with the result that the magnet will not be influenced by therail and it is because of the shortening of the field of theinterruption of rail influence as it may be termed that we obtain anoperation of our device.

Under; certain conditions it becomes quite desirable and even necessarythat a magnetic field should be continued if not through the manganesesection at least suiiiciently close thereto to induce the necessarymechanical action. In our device when the field of the. magnet isshortened by passing over a diamagnetic section we maintain a magneticinfluence adjacent to the diamagnetic section by a plurality of coils asindicated at 7 and 8. Each coil we inclose in a casing 9 that will notonly support it but that will pro tect it from. injury. The casingshould be brass or otherdiamagnetic material and We prefer that eachcasing should be secured to the ties or to some other immovable support.The core of continued beyond, each end oi? the coil as indicated at 10and 11 and is bent approxieach of the magnets 7 and 8 is I mately at aright angle to terminate in an extending plate or T as indicated at 12and 13, and we prefer that the arrangement ol the coil casings should besuch that the faces of the cores should be about on a plane and quitclose to the head of the adjacent. rail.

The coils 7 and 8 and all of the coils arranged adjacent to diamagneticsections will be included'in the battery circuit or other source ofcurrent supply that is provided for the signals which operate in thesections wherein our devices are disposed, but it may be advantageous toprovide a separate source of current supply for these track coils. Thenumber of coils and the length and diameter of each as well as thelength of each manganese section will be determined by the operativeconditions as will be fully set forth in the description of theoperation of our device.

Supported upon the locomotive and arranged within the line of the treadof the wheels thereof is a casing 14, which should also be constructedof diamagnetic material. Within the casing we arrange a magnet coil 15having a rotatable core 16, which may be supported by adjustable pins 17and 18. Connected to the core and extending upward therefrom is an arm19;supporting at its upper end an insulated block 20, which has arrangedin its upper face a contact strip 21. A spring 22 arranged between theupwardly projecting rod 19 and an adjacent side of the casing tends torotate the magnet core 16 so that its downwardly projecting ends willassume the position shown in the dotted line 23, but the inclusion of asteel rail in the field shortens the magnetic field by swinging thedownwardly projecting end of the core 16 into the position shown by thefull lines 24 even against the pull of the spring 22. The contact strip21 may be electrically connected to the upwardly extending rod.19 for apurpose that shall appear later.

Arranged within the casing and extending a certain distance along one ofthe longest sidos is a pivoted member that we sometimes term an armature25. This armature which consists of a thin sot't iron plate supported ona rod or pivot 26 is subject to the influence of the magnets 7 and 8 andwhen the magnets 7 and 8 are energized the free lower edge of thearmature will be drawn outward. This will partially rotate the rod 26which will in turn move a vertical bar 27 so as to close a plurality ofcontacts adjacent thereto.

These relatively operating track and locomotive parts control aplurality of valves and a timing mechanism which in turn determinerthetime and speed at which the air brakes shall be applied by our device.

The air valves and timin mechanism may be located in a cabinet indicatedby the dotted lines 30 in which may alsobe arranged the battery orsource of current supply 31 and a protective or overload circuit breaker32. A lead or pipe from the main reservoir is indicated at 33, and inthis pipe we arrange a reducing valve 37 and a magnetically operatedvalve 34. From the valve 34 a pipe 35 extends to a timing cylin er 36and between the valve and timing cy lnder we may arrange a speed washeror controller 38. A second valve 39 is arranged in the brake pipe ortrain line air circuit 40. This valve is also magnetically operated andexhausts directly into the atmosphere through a short lead or nipple 41.Arranged upon each of the movable members of the valves 34 and 39 aredisks 42, 43 respectively for a purpose that shall appear later.

The timing cylinder has a piston 44 urged upward by means of a spring 45and connected to which is a rod 46 upon which we arrange contact disks47 and 48.

Thus far we have described the mechanical construction of our device nowhowever we shall detail its-operation referring to the mechanical partsby name or by reference character Whenever it shall become neces sary. tA locomotive carrying the necessary parts of our device approaches adiamagnetic track section and if it is not intended that an operation ofour device shall there occur the coils 7'and 8 will be energized by aclosed track circuit the magnetic circuit through the rail will,however, be interrupted and the core 16 will turn to the position 23.This will interrupt the circuit through the contacts bb bearing upon theblock 21, but as the coils 7 and 8 are ener-.

gized these coils will, just prior to the interruption of the magneticpath through the rails, draw the armature 25 outward and cause thevertical arm 27 to close the circuit through the contacts cc. It will benoted that the contacts 7)-b and cc are in mul tiple and therefore nointerruption of the normal condition will result from the discontinuanceof the magnetic rail. When,

however, it is intended to cause an operation by subsequent diamagneticsections the coils 7 and 8 and all similar coils arranged adjacent tolocal non-magnetic sections may be dcenergized with the result that whenthe core 16 swings to the position 23 a circuit controlled by the enginemagnet will be interrupted and a second interruption by the diamagneticsection 1 within a specified time will cause an operation of thereservoir or train line air valve. I

We will now trace the 'circuits which cause the desirable operationsbearing in mind that our device operates on a closed circuit principle.Under normal running condition a circuit from the battery 31 continuesthrough the circuit breaker 32 to the lead wires d, to e, to the coil15, to F, and return to the bat tery. This insures that the coil will heconstantly energized. The control circuits are from the lead Wire 01',to g, to the rod 19 through one of the contacts Z to h, to the valve 34to 2", to a contact 7*, adjacent to the timing cylinderand to anothercontact adja cent to the disks-2. The latter contact is normally closedwith a resistance j, which continues the circuitto a lead from thebattery.v From. the second contact the circuit extends through the lead70, to the valve 39, and continuing" through this ,valve passes throughthenornially raised disk 43, through the resistance and wires Z, m, tothe battery.

When an interruption oi the circuit through. the valve 34: occursbecause of the movement of the core 16 and the lack of energy whichwould move the armature 2? the disk 42 .is forced downward by thepressure oi the air which opens the valve- 34. The air passes into thetiming cylinder 36 and the contacts jj are opened. it will be noted thatthe opening of the contacts does not occur nnmedlately that the piston44 starts'in its downward movement as We have arranged for acertainamount of lost motion which Wlll retard the opening of the contacts. Thepiston i l 1s controlled in its downward vmovement by the spring whichoppose the air pressure so that the piston moves deliberately and doesnot reach the end of its motion by a sudden impulse.

It will be understood that the movement or the core 16 and theinterruption of the circuit is of short duration. The encounteringotanother section of ordinany steel rail will again cause the core 16 toreturn to the position 2% and the circuit through the contacts h72 to bereestablished. l'low if the circuit be continued without interruptionthe piston 44 will continue downward until the dish 47 reaches thecontacts 94",

which will in turn energize and close the valve 3% shutting of? the airthat has i'orccd the piston'downward. The piston will commence to returnbut the interruption the breaking of the circuit across the con tacts1"/' will not re-open the valve as the circuit through this valve willbe con.- tinued complete through its own disk and through the contacts 65 or 6-0. In connection with this operation We may observe that theextent of lost motion in the disk at? will be sufliciently great toforbid a movement of the disk until the train magnet has reached anotherordinary steel rail section.

Consider however that while the piston 44- is moving downward a secondinterrup tion of the circuit across the contact 72 shall occur by reason.of t re approach of a diamagnetic rail section and that for a secondtime no current is passing through the coils 7 and 8. Thesecondinterruption will deenergizethe valve 89 allowing it to open andsetting the train brakes. it will be fully appreciated thereifore thatWe may obtain not only a complete stopping of the train but a speedcontrol'as it is very evident that the piston 44: maybe caused tooperate as'rapidly as desired, and that any given time may be allowedbetween diama gnetic sections without effecting an open ation of thebrakes but in every instance the time will be controlled by he distance,between the diamagnetic sections and the speed or rapidity of theoperation oi the piston ital. To adjust this speed we have provided thefitting 38 wherein is arranged a speed washeii which consists oi a dish.having a centred perforation of any predetermined diameter. Theoperation of: devices of thi kind i fully understood.

it is will he appreciated that We have not, in this appli tion intendedto describe ever advantage be gained from the operation of our devicenor every modification that may be made in the construction. We haveonly detailed the device to an extent sufficient to cause it to be fullyunderstood, and it is obvious that modification mav' be me ie within thescope of the appended claims without departing from the principle 0. seerificing the advantages of this invention.

fine the most important reasons for the peculiar construction of thetrain ma ne t the desire to overcome the pot ibuity oi an interruptionof the operatwo because or by vibration we have shown a constructionwhich has been fully having a n'iovablc core in two )arts and iconnected by a joint 57 both of the parts 56 should be of iron and thejoint 5? so consti'ucted that a close engagen'ient of the parts isobtained and so that no distortion of magnetic lines will result fromthe introduction oi? the joint. secured to the bottom of the casing andproiectin 'nward therefrom lug 58, provided with aslot 60 in which wehave arranged a free moving pin The pin engages the lower end of thecore section 56. A spring 62 tends to breair the joint between the parts55, and 5e at the joint 57 and the magnetic pull coca-- sioned by thepresence of an ordinary steel rail tends to straighten the toggle on.

63. Objectionable vibration occurs only when the core extensions of thecoil are in a vertical position, the position assumed over an ordinarysteel rail, as the toggle will then be in a straight vertlcal linevibration will not tend to operate the parts and interrupt the circuit.

In Fig. 5 we show a construction wherein the movable core or theprojections therefrom may be disposed at or over any convenient point.The core in this instance is provided with off-set depending ends asindicated at and we provide a counterweight 51 of sufficient weight toexactly balance the projection 50 as these two parts are suspendad froma common center and as the gravity attraction is equal in both instancesvibration will not effect the position nor will it tend to rotate theprojection 50 and the weight upon its center.

In this construction the spring 52 which lifts the projection 50 uponthe interruption of the magnetic field is secured directly to theprojecting arm and to a'block 53 which may be attached to an adjacentend of the coil. The upwardly extending contact arm is of a constructionand operation fully described in connection with the arm or rod 19.

Having carefully and fully described our invention what we claim'anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device for controlling thespeed of trains comprising a controlling mechanism carried by alocomotive, an ordinary track having a plurality of diamagnetic sectionsa plurality of magnetic coils arranged parallel and to be sustained inan inoperative position by said electromagnets as and for the purposeset forth.

3. A device of the character described comprising a plurality ofelectromagnetically operated devices, and means for maintaining orinterrupting the circuits therethrough, said means comprising aplurality of contacts, a magnet for operating them, said magnet beingsupported adjacent to the rails and a plurality of contacts in parallelwith said first mentioned contacts and op erated by a second magnetremote from said first mentioned magnet as. and for the purpose setforth.

1. A device of the character described having an air valve, a-timingcylinder, connected therewith and a second valve' controlled by saidtiming cylinder, means for operating said first valve to admit air tooperate said timing cylinder, a magnet, a supporting member thereforarranged adjacent to a rail for maintaining the said air valves in aclosed condition during a portion of the operation, and a device inmovable relation to said magnet supporting member for maintaining saidair valves closed during another portion of the operation all arrangedfor joint operation for the purpose set forth.

5. A device of the character described comprising magnetically operatedvalves one of which controls the operation of the other and means foroperating said valves, said means including an electromagnet having apartially rotatable core, and a circuit breaking device for one of saidvalves operated by said core in combination with a magneticmember forretaining said core and a dia magnetic member in the path of said corefor releasing said core as and for the purpose set forth.

- Signed at New York city, in the county of New .York and State of NewYork this 8 day of October, 1914.

LAWRENCE WESLEY HORNE. WARREN NOBLE CRANE. Witnesses:

G. E. Srnnnrrrn, ARTHUR PHELrs MARK.

